Parus Atricapillus – Black-capped Chickadee

Distinguishing Features – Back; olive-gray; wings and tail, black with white or light gray margins; throat, black; crown, back of head and throat, black; belly, white; sides lightly buff-tinged; bill, black; legs, bluish slate. Male and female are indistinguishable.

  • Size – 12.3 – 14.5 cm
  • (4.75 – 5.75 in)

Black-capped Chickadee

Habitat

A year-round resident of Northwestern Ontario, the Black-capped Chickadee, is found in a wide variety of sites, from deciduous or mixed woodlots to tall thickets of shrubs, as well as around residential areas.

Nesting

In a cavity of a tree, an old woodpecker hole, or a birdhouse. Nest is made up of available soft materials such as moss, hair, fine grass, and feathers.

Eggs, 6 – 8; whitish with reddy-brown spotting. Incubation period 12 – 14 days.

Notes

The Black-capped Chickadee is a familiar sight in Northwestern Ontario, from work and picnic sites in the woodlands to the backyard birdfeeder.

Its song is an unforgettable, clear Chicka-dee-dee-dee.

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